ress of the ship?
Many leading questions were put to Auntie Yvette, but, dearly as she
would have liked to talk about her charge's romantic trouble, her
tongue was tied and she dreaded to let slip any information that might
possibly lead to a train of thought connecting Lucille, Dam, and the
old half-forgotten scandal of the outcast from Monksmead and
Sandhurst. If her beloved nephew foolishly chose to hide his head in
shame when there was no shame, it was not for those who loved him best
to say anything which might possibly lead to his discovery and
identification.
While cordially polite to all men (including women) Lucille was found
to be surrounded by an impenetrable wall of what was either glass or
ice according to the nature of the investigator. Those who would fain
extend relationship beyond that of merest ephemeral ship-board
acquaintanceship (and the inevitabilities of close, though temporary,
daily contact), while admitting that her manner and manners were
beautiful, had to admit also that she was an extremely difficult young
person "to get to know". A gilt-edged, bumptious young subalternknut,
who commenced the voyage apoplectically full of self-admiration,
self-confidence, and admiring wonder at his enormous attractiveness,
importance, and value, finished the same in a ludicrously deflated
condition--and a quiet civilian, to whom the cub had been shamefully
insolent, was moved to present him with a little poem of his
composition commencing "There was a puppy caught a wasp," which gave
him the transient though salutary gift of sight of himself as certain
others saw him....
Even the Great Mrs. "Justice" Spywell (her husband was a wee meek
joint-sessions-judge) was foiled in her diligent endeavours, and those
who know the Great Mrs. "Justice" Spywell will appreciate the
defensive abilities of Lucille. To those poor souls, throughout the
world, who stand lorn and cold without the charmed and charming circle
of Anglo-Indiandom, it may be explained that the Great Mrs. "Justice"
Spywell was far too Great to be hampered by silly scruples of
diffidence when on the track of information concerning the private
affairs of lesser folk--which is to say other folk.
When travelling abroad she is THE Judge's Wife; when staying at Hill
Stations she is The JUDGE'S Wife, and when adorning her proper sphere,
her native heath of Chota Pagalabad, she is The Judge's WIFE. As she
is the Senior Lady of all Chota Pagalabad she,
|